GWAMA: A Web-Based Decision Support Tool for Greenwashing Risk Assessment in Sustainable Food Marketing

Greenwashing in food marketing undermines consumer trust and impedes Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12). While prior research has established linkages between greenwashing perception, green skepticism, and purchase intention, no publicly deployed decision support tool has been developed for practitioner use. This study applies Design Science Research (DSR) methodology to translate validated behavioral models into a deployable decision support system rather than re-testing established relationships. We present the development, deployment, and evaluation of the Greenwashing Advertising Message Assessment (GWAMA), a web-based DSR artifact grounded in a validated Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) structural equation model. GWAMA integrates factor-loading-weighted composite scoring with SEM-derived parameters to generate real-time greenwashing risk diagnostics for food advertising messages. Usability was evaluated with 150 Thai food industry professionals using a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) instrument applied to the live system. Results provide indicative evidence of stakeholder acceptance, with high perceived usefulness, ease of use, and intention to use. This study contributes by demonstrating how validated behavioral models can be translated into a publicly deployable decision support artifact, with practical implications for sustainable marketing governance and SDG 12 implementation in emerging economies.